“...Light, illuminate my path...” An orb of light brightened a spacious straight path with occasional rocks and stalagmites stretched into the deepening darkness. Looking up to the high-reaching ceiling with stalactites, Lucious closed his eyes as he took in the resonating sound of water dripping from the ceiling to the ground in the deafening silence of the lifeless cave. Shuddered with horror and pain as he relived the shouts and screams of Knights of Sheldon, a hand shook Lucious’s shoulder firmly. The young trainee turned to smile weakly at Floki. “...I think I’m good... What about you, old bald?” “...Not too bad, I suppose. Can’t wait to beat that thing to a pulp...” Lucious noticed his mentor’s fists gripped so tightly that it trembled. Floki had lost his best brother-in-arms in this accursed place.
Walking within the encroaching darkness with a small light, Lucious strived to occupy his mind to distract his fear. “...Say, Floki. Why did you refuse to enter the cave? Even Kibo will follow faithfully if you decide to enter...” A short silence followed before the old Maeist replied. “...I couldn’t agree with Grawy for his rash decision, but the man had no choice.” Listening intently to Floki, Lucious caught other members even Cassian focused attentively to their former instructor. It seemed like everyone was curious, but keep themselves from asking. “Bringing the best-seasoned members and trainees with him, Grawy refused to let me in...” Lucious was just as surprised by the revelation as other members.
“Said he needs to know someone was out there, taking care of everything when the worst happened...” Brushed his eyes frustratingly with his fingers, Lucious’s mentor continued. “It couldn’t be any worst... A nightmare...” Lucious nodded rapidly in grief. They had lost so much. “...Leaving me with all the mess and gone ahead leisurely... I will whack that old shit on his chin when I see him again...” Lucious smiled faintly with the image of the stronger Floki pummelling Old Grawy. “But first, let’s do away with this shit mist.” Lucious’s heart skipped a beat at Floki’s bubbling Natura with Julian and Emma stiffed in alarm. A leering laugh cackled from Floki. “At last, I will have my way with you, O’ Grimkeeper...”
“Floki!” Lucious and Cassian sounded in unison as they feared the old Maeist charged irrationally to his vengeance. “Keep it down, kids. I had waited for more than a month for this.” Lucious sighed in relief as Floki flashed him a calming smile. “I can still wait for another hour or two to see to its end.” Nodding at Floki’s self-restraint, Cassian turned to the other Maeists. “How is it?” “...Very immense. Very powerful. Its existence...is taking root in this stratum...” Julian described urgently as he closed his eyes in focus. “That thing’s becoming arrogant, sending his tentacles instead of coming here itself and greet his guests...” Floki muttered with rage between his teeth. “Squad, ready. Shields. Julian, the Foundation of Three...” Cassian and the twins lined in front and locked their shields side by side as Julian touched the knight at the middle and chanted loudly.
Resonating with the shields, a barrier layered in three formed with brilliant blue streak a fraction of fling away from the shields. Lucious caught a disturbance in the darkness just as the barrier was completed. Hurriedly touched and channelled his Natura to the chanting white-robed Maeist, Lucious made it just in time as several large wisps of darkness broke away from the unending darkness and rammed heavily on the barrier. An excruciating pain shot into Lucious’s head and gone in an instant as the wisps reeled away from the resolute barrier. Checking on the other members, Lucious was astonished when he saw the grimaced face of the shield knights and Julian as if they shared the identical burden.
Dismissing his curiosity for the barrier, Lucious focused his eyes on the dark wisps which flying ahead. The wisps looked smaller and less intimidating compared to the vast and enormous presence of the dark mist Lucious encountered. Still, Lucious knew better than to underestimate those unholy wisps. Last time, he lost everything including his brother. Not this time. Even so, Lucious could not do anything more than providing his Natura to Julian and Emma. Of course, there is the option of using his anomalous barrier, but having no mean and technique to control it. Floki did warn him about the danger of using his barrier, but was there any other option?
“Maeists, don’t take it haste. We need to conserve energy.” Cassian’s directive dismissed Lucious’s impatience. “We’ll lure them down and trap them with Tri-Seal formation.” Julian and Emma nodded in acknowledgement. Above them, the wisps rammed the barrier one by one over the same angle. Grimaced at the smart manoeuvre, Lucious looked at Cassian in question. “At my signal, everyone split aside and jump for the formation. Floki and Lucious, help us when needed.” Floki nodded in understanding, but not Lucious. “It means we chips in when needed, but otherwise stand by.” Lucious looked at his mentor in discontentment. “Relax, lad. We do what we can so that we know what more we can give when the need arises.” Nodded in grunted agreement, Lucious tensed in anticipation for Cassian’s signal.
“Emma, string them on the hook.” Raising her staff, Emma conjured several smaller fire flares which homed and chased at the evading wisps over the ceiling. Some wisps swallowed the fire with little effort while others took the hit without much damage. However, the wisps became agitated over the dismissive but meddlesome flares and charging at the squad ferociously. Cassian held on the signal and let the wisps landed their disorganised attacks for several times. “NOW!” Reacted instantly, Lucious jumped to a side with Floki as the squad quickly disengaged the wisps. Passing through the empty space, the wisps slowed down slightly in wonder. Taking this chance, the squad rushed back in. Calling forth the barrier once more, Julian constructed a triangle barrier which enveloped the bewildered wisps with the shield knights holding each point of the barrier.
Jetting and ramming the barrier frantically, the dark wisps tried to break out. Emma and Floki quickly approached and touched lightly on the barrier as the force field rippled slightly at the intervention of foreign Natura. Beckoned by Floki, Lucious joined the Maeists. “Lucious, I’m going to use the purifying fire. Venture deep and feel the nature and the Natura of the power of the fire. Now, hold on my shoulder and do your thing.” Brightened at the prospect of learning a new chant, Lucious quickly grasped Floki’s shoulder, established the Natura connection with his instructor and dived into the flow of Natura.
Entered into the flow as Floki started to chant with Emma, Lucious could feel Floki’s river of Natura gushed and converged on a singular point. Shaped with the words and plea of purification, the point expanded softly with white warm light, but it eventually grew into a scorching sphere of ferocious fire. Unlike the Grimkeeper which filled with insatiable lust and hunger for consuming lives, the sphere was soothing as if it was the only beacon of light among the sea of darkness. Feeding on Floki’s Natura, the sphere flared and flickered gently but firmly. It was the flame of freedom. It was the flame of order. It was the flame of life. A complete opposite of the Grimkeeper, it was the cradle of essence that celebrated and protected the gift of life.
Satisfied with the growth of the sphere, Floki directed the purifying sphere with the delicate flow of his Natura to the corrupted wisps.
The barrier that contained the struggling wisps became warmer as its hue changed to soft tangerine. Seeping from the surface of the barrier, the purifying flame started to envelop the inside of the barrier. Incinerated by the flame, the dark wisps released grotesque shrieks of fear. The wisps tried to break the barrier, but the flame on the barrier forced them away. Having no choice, the wisps tried to consume the purifying flame as they combined into a larger sphere of darkness and expanded its darkening mist at the purifying flame. Instead of vanquishing the flame, the action allowed the flame to reach into the core of the dark sphere. The dark sphere cried with anguish when realising its failure.
Even without watching with his naked eyes, Lucious could feel the disintegration of the dark sphere through Floki’s flow of Natura as its unholy essence was purified and released from the malicious nature of the Grimkeeper. Dazed by the effect of the purifying flame, Lucious recalled the performance of purification numerous times beneath his closed eyes. “Good work, squad. Assume the first formation. We’re going.” Nodded in satisfaction as the last of the wisps reduced to emptiness, Cassian broke the Tri-Seal formation and reorganised the squad to proceed forward. “Hey, I said kiddo, we are going...” Shaking Lucious out from his recollection, Floki pulled his young trainee along as the squad resumed its march toward the deepening area of the cave.
“So, what did you learned?” Lucious looked blankly for a second at the sudden question of his instructor. “...Hard to say...but I wonder where does the source of the power of purification come from...” “Good question. It came from here.” Floki smiled brightly as he pointed at the lower left of Lucious’s chest. “The earnest desire to live and to protect can give rise to a powerful will to prevail, or at least keep your toes against the despair of oblivion.” Lucious closed his eyes briefly as he touched the spot where his heart was beating and felt for the life-force that coursed around his veins. “Bring these desires out with the chant and shape your flame of purification. It can be learned in time, but I’m sure it will be useful to you later.” Lucious raised his eyebrows as he caught the knowing wink from Floki.
Muttering and digesting the words of his mentor, Lucious suppressed an exasperating sigh. “Did he think the fire can help me control my barrier?” Pondering the possibility of the idea, Lucious nearly collided with Olwen’s back as the squad stopped once again. “There they come again...This can be vexingly tiresome.” Floki grunted distressingly at the second wave of the dark wisps. “True. Although the number is not a problem, it can be deadly when you are facing an insurmountable force that keeps reproducing itself.” Cassian grabbed his chin briefly before deciding the course of his squad. “Guys, do you think we could hold those wisps at bay while moving on with haste?” Lucious was almost faint at the thought of such a ridiculous idea.
“Well, it depends, but why not?” Cassia’s casual remark threw Lucious into further confusion. Where was this confidence came from? “It seems that’s the only plausible way for us to slay the Grimkeeper when we are still able...” “...The faster we get rid of the Grimkeeper, the better the chance for the rest of my team...” “About time. I’m getting tired of this moisture...” Except for the silent twin and the guests from Tressmoor, the rest of the team nodded in agreement. “Give it up, lad. You’re looking at the team from the most well-trained and well-equipped force on the continent of Slamaeldonia.” Lucious looked palely at Floki who was trying to placate him with a relaxing grasp on his shoulder. “You mean, everyone from Jercflosey is like that?” “Why do you look so surprised? For how many years did you train under the former brilliant instructor who worked for the Principle?” Looking glumly at his mentor who gestured to himself, Lucious felt light-headed and became unsteady at his feet as he relaxed his tension at the casual conversation amidst the descend into the mouth of the Abyss.
“I’m in the midst of lunatics...” Even as he pressed his head weakly at the absurdity, Lucious did not feel disturbed. On the contrary, Lucious sensed a heightening passion as his heart beaten with euphoric anticipation and curiosity. “I wonder what they think of the hell that tormented us for weeks.” Twisting his mouth in a mixed feeling of hope and despair, Lucious gazed firmly at the team as they readied for their reckless charge. “That’s right. Burn this into your eyes. This is Jercflosey. This is the force of the Principle. This is the power and the will that protect this continent.” Catching Floki’s reassuring smile, Lucious nodded his head once as he gripped his training staff in motivation. “If it is them...perhaps...” Entertaining the potential of the team, Lucious assumed his position with Floki as the team regrouped and rushed quickly to the deepening throat of hell.
ns 18.68.41.142da2
